Friday, October 23, 2009

Runaway Bride by Rita Hestand

All Savannah Kingsley had ever wanted was marriage, at least until she saw all her hopes and dreams disappear with her faithless fiance. Catching him locked in another's embrace on their wedding day, she was shocked and hurt. Knowing she couldn't go through with the wedding, she ran.

What else could she do? Chad had to tell his parents for both their sakes. But could he? She'd promised to keep his secret, but was that another mistake?

Ben Hogg could spot trouble a mile away, he had to, it was his job, since he was the Sheriff in Junction, Texas. Savannah oozed trouble, yet he still couldn't ignore the Runaway Bride walking down the aisle of the bus, straight toward him; even though he knew he should...

Rita Hestand successfully withholds the true reason why her heroine Savannah runs away from her groom on her wedding day. The 'poor little rich girl' finds she has much to learn if she wants to get on in life, and Rita ensures she encounters plenty of learning curves in a very short space of time.

While I couldn't empathise fully with Rita's heroine, I fell hook, line and sinker for her hero, Ben Hogg. The dark silent Sheriff sizes up Savannah's dilemma and takes some extraordinary steps to see that stays out of trouble. Far from neglecting Ben, Ms Hestand presents Ben with his own bundle of problems to deal with. There's no shortage of conflict in this story!

While some of the situations her main characters found themselves in and the solutions to them didn't endear the protagonists to me, they were in character and in keeping with the story.

All-in-all, I found this is a charming, light story with a scorching hot hero that kept me thoroughly entertained.

RATING EXPLANATION:

1 Star— At this time, we at LASR do not post these reviews. If the book was boring, badly edited, poorly written, had little or no plot, stilted dialogue, and/or unsympathetic characters, we will decline the review.

2 Stars— Not wonderful, but tolerable. There may be some minor editing glitches but not enough to stop you reading. Not a wall-banger, but nothing you'd re-read. This is a book you would borrow from the library - not buy - and never check out again.

3 Stars— Good. Mostly enjoyable. You made it through and didn't consider it a waste of time or money. The story was strong enough or the conflict tight enough, so even when the book faltered, it was able to draw you back in and keep you. There's a chance you'll recommend it to a friend, but it wouldn't go on your keeper shelf.

4 Stars— Very Good. You're glad you were the one who got to review the book. You would probably buy it and would definitely recommend it to your friends. You liked the characters and the plot. The writing style was good and the editing clean.

5 Stars— Great! You would definitely buy this book. You would definitely recommend it to your friends. You really loved the characters and the plot and would consider looking for this authors back list or making her an autobuy. The writing and editing were superb.

LASR Best Book - For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you're not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise - and reserved for only a few.

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